EDUCATION, SOCIAL NEEDS AND MILITARY SPENDING

The 1983 AFT convention resolution entitled "Military Budget and Education" clearly outlines the AFT's position regarding Reagan's budgets and education and defense spending. This convention reaffirms that resolution. In addition, the AFT continues to support the position of the AFL-CIO: that a strong national defense is essential to protect U.S. interests and democracy; that the "defense budget be subjected to the same close scrutiny that social programs have always undergone;" and that, should Congress determine that higher levels of defense are required, the increase be funded by rescinding Reagan's tax giveaways to large corporations and the very wealthy not by further cuts in education and social programs.

Military Budget and Education

The Reagan administration, through its economic and tax policies, has encouraged the revival of the destruc­tive military versus social programs debate. In doing so it has weakened American security. While the adminis­tration responded to a deep national concern for American military defense in an increasingly dangerous world, it has done so by shifting the burden for the cost of national defense onto the backs of American working people while passing a $750 billion dollar tax giveaway to the richest segments of American society. Reagan has also gutted vital social programs including aid to education, which as the AFL-CIO has stated, "reflect the humane values of our people and that make our society worth defending."

For a president who claims to want a strong America, his attack on public education, through cuts in aid for education and support for tuition tax credits, is extreme4 short-sighted. As AFT president Shanker recently pointed out: "Will America be stronger if we reduce our support for education? What will happen to our ability to build and produce as we lose our math, science and engineering teachers-and as we fail to train our skilled blue-collar workers like machinists and tool-and-die makers? Cutting taxes and encouraging savings and investment will do little for the future economy or defense, without an investment in human skills and talents."

The AFT equally rejects the notions that, as some argue, we must spend unlimited amounts of money on national defense in total disregard of domestic welfare and economic growth, or, as others propose, we should blindly transfer funds from the military budget to social programs with no concern for the impact on defense.

We believe that American workers are willing to make the sacrifice necessary to maintain America's defenses and that both defense and "the general welfare" can be supported by a healthy and grow­ing economy. But, again, Reagan's economic policies, which have encouraged high unemployment, low growth and high federal deficits, weaken internal social cohesion which is required for a strong foreign and defense policy.